UK police arrest former Prince Andrew; Iran braces for possible US strike
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly Prince Andrew — was arrested in England on Thursday morning. Police say the case centers on alleged misconduct tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Plus, new reports of a looming strike on Iran as the U.S. increases its military presence in the region. Now, Tehran appears to be moving sensitive materials to protected sites.
And rescue teams are still searching for one missing skier in California’s Sierra Nevada after eight were found dead in an avalanche.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, February 19, 2026.
Former Prince Andrew arrested over alleged Epstein misconduct
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested Thursday weeks after new revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Thames Valley Police detained him on suspicion of misconduct in public office, citing his connections to Epstein.
Unmarked police vehicles and plainclothes officers were observed at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, where Andrew has resided since vacating his longtime home at the Royal Lodge earlier this month following new allegations against the disgraced prince.
Thames Valley Police stated they are investigating claims that a second woman was transported to the U.K. by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor.
The former prince has consistently denied any involvement in wrongdoing related to Epstein.
US prepares for possible Iran strike as Trump weighs decision
There are growing signs that the U.S. could be moving closer to military action against Iran. CNN reported the Pentagon is prepared to strike as early as this weekend, though President Donald Trump has not made a final decision.
Sources told CNN that the White House has been briefed that U.S. air and naval assets in the region could be ready within days. The USS Gerald Ford carrier group is expected to arrive in the region soon, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln. Air Force refueling tankers and fighter jets based in the UK are also being repositioned closer to the region.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is still considering his options.
“The president has always been very clear, though, with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration,” Leavitt said.
At the same time, new satellite imagery shows Iran fortifying key nuclear and military facilities, including pouring concrete and laying soil over parts of the Parchin military complex and tunnel entrances at the Isfahan nuclear complex. These steps are designed to make targets harder to hit from the air.
Iran’s leadership, meanwhile, has projected defiance and warned the U.S. against escalation.
On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance said Iran still has not met U.S. “red lines” and that Trump has the means to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
“You can’t have people like that have the most dangerous weapon known to man,” Vance said.”It would be awful for our security. It would be awful for the future of our children. That is the goal of the president of the United States. And he’s got a lot of options and a lot of tools to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The pressure is already hitting markets. CNBC reported oil prices jumped on Wednesday after Vance’s comments, as traders’ prices are at higher risk if diplomacy breaks down.
And Thursday morning, a Russian naval video shows a warship docking in Iran ahead of joint activity in the region as Tehran also runs drills near the Strait of Hormuz, the choke point for where a major share of global oil flows.
For now, the White House says it’s still watching for Iran’s next move, but the message from Washington is clear: time is tightening, and the pressure is rising.
Trump convenes ‘Board of Peace’ to discuss Gaza reconstruction
Trump’s Board of Peace will hold its first meeting Thursday, with dozens of countries focused on rebuilding Gaza and stabilizing the territory.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump said members have pledged $5 billion toward reconstruction. The total cost to rebuild Gaza is estimated at roughly $70 billion. Countries are also expected to commit thousands of personnel to stabilization and policing operations within their territory.
The board is a key piece of Trump’s 20-point peace plan for ending the war between Israel and Hamas.
The administration said it could also serve as a broader model for resolving other global conflicts. While large-scale fighting in Gaza has largely subsided, Israel’s military continues airstrikes in areas it controls.
More than 40 countries and the European Union are reportedly sending representatives.
A senior administration official told the Associated Press that Germany, Italy, Norway and Switzerland have not formally joined the board, but will attend today’s session as observers.
The U.N. Security Council held a high-level meeting on Wednesday on the ceasefire and Israel’s expanding operations in the West Bank. That session was moved up after the board of peace meeting was announced.
At the UN, Ambassador Mike Waltz pushed back on criticism of the new initiative.
“I’ve heard we are hearing the chattering class criticizing the structure of the board. That it’s unconventional, that it’s unprecedented,” Walz said. “Again, the old ways were not working. We had — we had choices of Hamas continuing to control Gaza, and occupation of Gaza or a new way.”
At Thursday’s session, the Gaza executive board, the operational arm of the effort, is expected to outline next steps toward establishing a functioning governing structure inside Gaza.
DHS authorizes ICE to detain thousands of refugees
The Department of Homeland Security is moving to detain thousands of refugees who are already legally living in the U.S. A memo filed in federal court directs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and ICE to detain refugees who entered lawfully but have not obtained a green card within a year of arrival.
They would be held during a new “inspection and examination” review.
Under the memo, refugees can report for an interview and be taken into custody. If they don’t, DHS said agents will locate and arrest them.
The new inspections are meant to re-vet refugees for fraud, national security or public safety concerns. Those who fail could lose their status or face deportation proceedings.
The directive reverses a 2010 policy that said failing to obtain lawful permanent resident status alone was not grounds for detention.
The memo surfaced as legal fights continue in Minnesota, where a federal judge temporarily blocked detentions tied to the administration’s refugee enforcement operation, writing that agents likely violated multiple federal statutes.
Refugee advocates call the move a breach of trust and a sharp escalation, arguing it targets people the U.S. admitted legally.
Avalanche recovery continues for missing skier after 8 found dead
A rescue mission has now become a recovery operation following one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history. Authorities said eight of the nine skiers reported missing near Lake Tahoe, California, on Tuesday are dead.
The search continues for the ninth, who is now presumed dead.
Two rescue teams — about 50 members in total — were deployed from the Boreal Mountain ski resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center.
Crews reached six people. The Nevada County Sheriff said Wednesday that one of those survivors remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
But efforts to reach the final missing skier remain slow and perilous. The avalanche risk remains high in the area.
“Extreme weather conditions, I would say, is an understatement. Lots of snow, gale force winds, winds making it impossible to see, so it was very much a slow and steady pace going with snow cats, skiers going up into the area, which is still considered a very high danger for avalanche.”
— Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon
The group of 15 skiers, guided by Blackbird Mountain guides, was wrapping up a three-day backcountry trip when the avalanche hit. The tour included four guides and 11 clients.
Former South Korean president Yoon sentenced to life in prison
It’s life in prison for the deposed world leader who declared martial law in South Korea just over a year ago. A Seoul court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection.
In December 2024, amid a deepening political crisis, Yoon declared martial law and ordered troops to surround the opposition-controlled National Assembly. The court ruled that it was an illegal bid to seize control of the assembly, detain lawmakers and consolidate unchecked power.
Under Yoon’s martial law order, political activity was suspended, media outlets were placed under government control and authorities were authorized to make arrests without warrants.
The move drew comparisons to South Korea’s authoritarian past, when military-backed governments crushed dissent.
But this time, lawmakers forced their way through the military blockade and voted to lift martial law just six hours after it was imposed. They impeached Yoon soon after, and he was formally removed from office in April 2025.
By July 2025, he was in custody and facing multiple criminal charges, including rebellion.
NYPD rescues injured bald eagle trapped on Hudson River ice
A routine training patrol on the Hudson River turned into a rare rescue for the New York Police Department’s Harbor Patrol.
Officers inspecting the ice on Tuesday morning noticed what appeared to be a white head protruding from a floating piece of ice. It was an injured bald eagle, soaked, bleeding and clinging to the ice in frigid waters.
The bird did not attempt to fly away as officers maneuvered their boat through ice chunks. That’s when they knew something was wrong.
After receiving approval from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, officers used a catch pole to secure the eagle’s wings, covered its head to keep it calm and brought it aboard their boat.
Handlers later transferred the eagle to the Raptor Trust in New Jersey, where it’s now in very serious but stable condition.
Wildlife experts say bald eagles gather along the Hudson each winter — drawn by open water and fish — a symbol of recovery decades after near-extinction.
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How the search for vaccine safety led parents away from the experts
In the first few months of her son’s life in late 2020, Dani Masters did what millions of mothers across the country have done for decades: She followed the guidance of doctors and vaccinated her firstborn.
Her son received the hepatitis B vaccine the day he was born. At 2 months old, he received his first doses against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae, rotavirus and pneumococcal disease.
To her recollection, Masters received all the recommended shots as a child.
“Everyone gets vaccines,” in Portland, Oregon, where Masters grew up, she told Straight Arrow News. And for the most part, Masters, who is now 39 and lives in New Hampshire, never gave vaccines much thought.
But she had one small hesitation: Her husband, from whom she was in the midst of separating at the time, pleaded with her not to immunize their child.
“Do me a favor,” he told her. “Don’t vaccinate him.” Read the full story now>
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
